Day 104. Njivlovuopmi to Masi
Posted by: James on April 14, 2009Distance 59km | Time 16hrs | Ascent 730m | Descent 920m
When I woke it was still dark but not pitch dark. I felt dawn was approaching. I felt refreshed and decided to get up without looking at my watch. I thought that it would have provided an excuse to lie a few more hours until a more conventional time. By extrapolating back it must have been 0300.
The sleet shower of yesterday evening had frozen onto the tent as the temperatures dropped to well below freezing. Then as the sleet turned to snow it covered the tent. It was just what I wanted. The old, loose, soft, wet, deep snow under the 5 cm of new snow was solid and crunchy. I had trouble in getting all the snow of the tent.
Eventually packed, I set of at 0445. It had already been light for at least 45 minutes. It was overcast and there was always the threat of further showers.
I set off into the forest in the direction of Carajavri lake. It was not the best. I relooked at the map and saw that I would not be much longer if I followed the stream, called Coalbrejohka, for 3 km until the side stream, called Sallejohka, joined it, and then I could follow this to the open hillside. I diverted back some 200 metres to the larger stream and started to follow its smooth meanders of snow covered ice. Much easier and quicker.
After the 3 km I cut off east and followed the frozen alluvial channels of the Sallejohka stream. Just to the south, on a mound, were a collection of some 5 small Lapp huts with their characteristic pyramid roofs. These were obviously used for reindeer herding as there were fences nearby.
The climb up the hillside on the south side of the Sallejohka stream was a relief. I was now longer imprisoned in the tangle of willow scrub and deep snow of the birch. With confident strides I could power up the 6 or so km to Carajavri lake. The only problem seemed to be the worsening state of the weather. It went from overcast to atmospheric and it now looked like something nasty was about to hit.
It soon did. It was a short sharp blizzard of a half hour. I made it to the Carajavri lake in the midst of it with poor visibility. It was also much colder now. It was a relief that the spring of the last 3 days was hopefully temporary. Almost as quickly as the blizzard came it disappeared. By the far side of the lake it was absolutely stunning weather with not a cloud in the sky. There were still some residual snowflakes falling but out of a light blue sunny sky!
At the far side of the lake I came across some branches marking a scooter track. I knew them to be here. Also here was the scooter track junction which went east from a small peninsular to a saddle some 2 km to the east. At the top of this saddle just an hour after the blizzard disappeared I sat in the blazing sun and melted some water on my gas stove without having use a windshield. It was cold however, perhaps minus 7. Perfect weather for me.
From the saddle there was a 9 km descent down the Doaresjohka stream valley. The conditions were near perfect. A firm base with a dusting of new snow on top. I just had to watch occasional sastrugi formations. Within 2 hours I had made it all the way to the edge of the map and a bit beyond, where the Doaresjohka mets the Vuoldejohka streams.
At the junction here was a Lapp tent. There were fresh scooter tracks around it but nobody was in. I had a peek. It was extremely tidy inside. Twigs and straw lined the snow floor and these were then completely covered in reindeer skins. A parafin stove, hearth and flue made up the centerpiece. Around the perimeter were 4 camp beds. It looked very comfortable and in the sun the dark green walls were absorbing the heat.
I followed there fresh scooter trails assuming they would go to Masi. After a short distance branches appeared beside the scooter trail. This was great; perhaps it was an official track to Masi. The tracks went over some small ridges and crossed some small ravines but I was unworried as they headed east towards Masi.
Then the tracks seem to veer south east onto the Saognojarvi lake where they veered south. I looked at the map perhaps they were going to Kautokeino. That would have been more that a major headache as it would leave me some 20 km of potentially difficult ridge and forest to cross. Just as the reality was sinking in two scooters appeared from behind a ridge and came towards me. I didn’t need to flag them down they stopped anyway amazed to see a skier. Like sports car drivers stopping to have a chat with an eccentric driving a horse and cart.
They had the news I wanted to hear. Just round the ridge the scooter track separated with one branch going to Masi. They had come from Masi and said it was 25.3 km away. They were very chatty and I hadn’t seen anybody for 3 days. I got them to show me where the scooter track went on the map. It was an obvious route and I felt reassured. It was just 1600 so I felt confident I would make it. For good measure they pointed to a lake on the map and said there was an open hut, probably without wood, I could use at about the half way stage.
I set off with vigour fueled by my third 100 gram bar of chocolate of the day. The route did exactly as they said. It turned east behind the ridge and then crossed two smaller lakes to reach the sunny Roggejarvri lake. From here there was a shortcut up a steep valley to the top of Suonjeroaivi hill. Here there was a trail junction with one route going west to Troms province and the other going east to Masi.
It was a rollercoaster of a ski from rounded hilltop to rounded hilltop for some 8 km as I followed the trail east. I suppose scooters have to follow routes where the snow lingers longest and the ups and downs are not of the same consequence to a tired skier with a backpack. Below lurked the deep snow traps in the forest as a reminder why I must follow the scooter tracks up here.
Eventually I came down from the hilltops and into the forest and lake area. I still felt OK and after having my fourth 100 gram chocolate bar of the day decided to give the woodless hut a miss and continue to Masi. At last I got my skis right and took off the small ski skins and put on blue extra wax. It was perfect and I should have done it ages ago. I did not particularly like the short ski skins.
With skis right I felt good. I still had enough energy to enjoy it a bit. There was one last climb up and over Stuoroaivi hill. From high up here there was a wonderful view over the endless Finnmarksvidda plateau. It was mostly very gentle rolling hills which gently sloped down to wide open wooded valleys before rising gently up to the next group of rolling hills. This was the oldest landscape in Europe and some 3 billion years old. There was an atmospheric sunset over it.
Just the other side of the hill was a further junction with a signpost for scooter routes, even to place in Finland some 150 km away. There was a route to Masi some 7 km away along a snow covered forest track. Despite the abundance of scooter tracks I had only seen 3 since coming back into Norway 3 days ago. It was a far cry from Kilpisjarvi in Finland.
These 7 km were exactly what I wanted. It was basically easy for the first half and then the second half was so gentle down hill I just had to stand and sing as I went along at 10 km per hour. Well within the hour I was through the birch forest where the sun set behind a framework of black branches and twigs. It was a good end to a great day
I reached the road. Crossed it and went to Masi Turist Centre. It was closed but there was a number to ring. Within 10 minutes I was in a cabin. It was around 2100. I just had a lot to drink to quench my thirst and crashed out. I could not be bothered to eat. I was pretty tired but could have gone a bit further if needed given chocolate as fuel.
It had been a great day. The longest in distance and time. It is amazing just how fit I have become. I could also look forward to a day off tomorrow as I had to catch up with the blog and rest. It has also been a great day for variety. There were no great mountains but the rolling hills and forest were interesting as long as I was on a track through the forest.